Using CBD Based Products for Aching Muscles and Joints

"CBD Based Products are gaining a lot of attention in many industries". Image Credit: Jacob Postuma on Unsplash

It’s one of the unfortunate facts of life that none of us can get away from; sometimes our muscles and joints ache. Whether you’ve had a particularly tough week bent over your laptop at work, are heavily pregnant and feeling the pain, pulled a muscle while out on your morning yesterday, or your toddler is insisting on being held 24/7 lately, sometimes the day to day business of life takes its toll on the body.

The History and Future of Pain Medicine

This isn’t a new phenomenon. For centuries, since people occupied the planet, we’ve had problems with aching muscles and joints. Our ancestors used aromatherapy to treat the pain when pharmaceuticals weren’t available. Peppermint, lavender and juniper essential oils have been used historically to soothe and relax tight painful muscles. Epsom salts have been added to baths for centuries for this purpose too. A lack of modern medicine has never been enough to stop us from finding relief.

In more modern times, pharmaceuticals have taken over and the range of pain medications available today is dazzling. From period pain to tension headaches, there’s a pain medication out there for almost every possible problem. Aching muscles and joints are no exception to this. However, modern-day pain medications come with their own set of nasty side effects, medication overuse headaches being just one of them.

As a response to this, increasing numbers of people are returning to aromatherapy and natural home remedies to soothe their aching muscles and joints instead. Epsom salts are more popular than every, and essential oils are certainly seeing a big comeback in popularity. However, there is one natural remedy that is stealing the limelight these days and that is CBD.

An Introduction to CBD

CBD is a chemical which is found in a certain strain of the cannabis sativa plant, specifically the industrial hemp plant. CBD oil is extracted from the seeds of the hemp plant. Commonly called cannabis, marijuana and hemp, this plant was outlawed for half a century but is now grown on farms across the United States for harvesting. Apart from CBD, it’s used to produce fabrics, clothing, paper, rope and much more.

The name CBD stands for cannabidiol and has become more widely known in recent years. Because of its origin, many people are concerned that CBD is unsafe to use. However, these fears are unfounded as CBD isn’t the chemical which causes the euphoric effects associated with cannabis use. The effects of CBD appear to be purely medicinal and its seems they are more far reaching than anyone ever believed.

CBD has been studied widely in relation to a whole host of illnesses, diseases and medical conditions. Many of the studies have yielded exceptionally promising results. However, none can be taken as conclusive scientific evidence. This is because the studies are not of the scientific standard required of medical research today. Researchers can’t get permission to use large quantities of the drug for large scale studies, due to the laws surrounding it. So any results which have been found are promising, but not conclusive.

This hasn’t stopped people from taking advantage of the many health benefits of CBD though. CBD products are more popular than ever before, and more widely available too. Online dispensaries are stocking enormous ranges of sophisticated products, and in states where cannabis is now legal an entire new industry has blossomed. This is great news for those people who suffer from aching muscles and joints but are keen to avoid using pharmaceutical pain medications and risking the side effects they can cause.

Why Use CBD for Sore Muscles and Joints

One of the biggest discoveries in relation to the qualities of CBD has been its ability to reduce pain. Although there isn’t enough research to conclusively say that CBD is a great treatment for these conditions, the anecdotal evidence in support of it is overwhelming. Hemp oil (hemp CBD) is being used all over the world as an experimental treatment for a whole host of chronic pain conditions such as:

Parkinson’s disease

Multiple sclerosis

Fibromyalgia

Diabetes

Endometriosis

Some forms of cancer

Rheumatoid arthritis

The reason Cannabidiol (CBD) has been so successful as an experimental drug for chronic pain is all down to its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is the number one cause of pain across the world but especially when it comes to muscle and joint pain. Inflammation is actually a perfectly natural response of the immune system. When this system identifies damage caused to cells in the body, it reacts with inflammation.

However, inflammation can be extremely painful. It can be, in itself, a chronic medical condition which requires treatment. The most typical treatment for chronic inflammation is NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). This group of drugs includes aspirin, ibuprofen and others. They are readily available and widely used, but like all pharmaceuticals NSAID’s (Aspirin) may cause unwanted side effects.

CBD has been found to be one of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatories there is. However, there is a lack of evidence through preclincal and clinical studies. This means that it packs all of the inflammation fighting punch of NSAIDs without posing any of the risks that they come with. In cases of highly localized muscle and joint pain, the wide variety of lotions which use CBD as an active ingredients can be highly effective when applied. Conversely, CBD capsules can deliver cross body pain relief for those who need it. Finally, CBD oil has been found to be perfectly safe to experiment with at home as it is virtually impossible to overdose on and shows no severe side effects whatsoever.